editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David Welna is NPR's national security correspondent. Having previously covered Congress over a 13-year period starting in 2001, Welna reported extensively on matters related to national security. He covered the debates on Capitol Hill over authorizing the use of military force prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the expansion of government surveillance practices arising from Congress' approval of the USA Patriot Act. Welna also reported on congressional probes into the use of torture by U.S. officials interrogating terrorism suspects. He also traveled with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to Afghanistan on the Pentagon chief's first overseas trip in that post. In mid-1998, after 15 years of reporting from abroad for NPR, Welna joined NPR's Chicago bureau. During that posting, he reported on a wide range of issues: changes in Midwestern agriculture that threaten the survival of small farms, the personal impact of foreign conflicts and economic crises in the heartland,NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David WelnaThu, 01 Feb 2018 03:45:47 +0000David Welnahttp://waer.org
David WelnaCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Trump Signs Order To Keep Guantanamo Openhttp://waer.org/post/trump-signs-order-keep-guantanamo-open
75327 as http://waer.orgWed, 31 Jan 2018 10:04:00 +0000Trump Signs Order To Keep Guantanamo OpenDavid WelnaCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We'd like to turn now from strategic questions to examine the dangerous reality of peacekeeping on the ground. According to the United Nations, 56 U.N. peacekeepers died through violence last year. That's the highest number of fatalities since 1994 when the U.N. sent peacekeepers to Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia and the Balkans. The U.N. report suggested that last year's figures are not an anomaly but rather an extended surge in violent deaths that began about five years ago. To talk more about this, we called Conor Foley. He is a former member of the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations, where he worked from 2010 to 2012. Now he teaches at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. But we reached him in London via Skype. Conor Foley, thanks so much for speaking with us. CONOR FOLEY: Thanks for inviting me onto the show. MARTIN: Do we know why the number of fatalities is so high? FOLEY: I think there'sDecades After They Were Held Captive By North Koreans, U.S. Crew Seeks Compensationhttp://waer.org/post/decades-after-they-were-held-captive-north-koreans-us-crew-seeks-compensation
75209 as http://waer.orgSun, 28 Jan 2018 22:42:00 +0000Decades After They Were Held Captive By North Koreans, U.S. Crew Seeks CompensationDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: On this day 16 years ago, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced that the American naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would be used to hold captives from the war on terror. Rumsfeld described it... (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DONALD RUMSFELD: As the least worst place we could have selected. SIEGEL: One prison there known as Camp 7 has been off-limits for a long time. Its exact location is classified. Camp 7 is home to 14 captives known as high-value detainees. Even their lawyers could not set foot there. NPR's David Welna tells us how that's changed. (SOUNDBITE OF DOORS CLOSING) DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: On a sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this month, a small group of reporters climbs into a military van. We've been promised a tour of the seaside zone where Guantanamo's prison camps are located. At the wheel was an Army sergeant whose name for security reasons cannot be mentioned. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: So now we are on the Lawyers For Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Will Be Allowed To See Where They're Heldhttp://waer.org/post/lawyers-guantanamo-bay-prisoners-will-be-allowed-see-where-theyre-held
73395 as http://waer.orgWed, 27 Dec 2017 21:34:00 +0000Lawyers For Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Will Be Allowed To See Where They're HeldDavid WelnaA risky move by one of the defense teams has led to unusual drama in the seemingly-endless pre-trial proceedings of the 9/11 war crimes case . Defense attorney Walter Ruiz decided to roll the dice and challenge the prosecution to prove that his client, alleged 9/11 money man Mustafa al Hawsawi, should be tried as a war criminal. Ruiz' argument was as audacious as it was simple: namely, that the U.S. was not at war with al-Qaida on 9/11, and that Hawsawi thus should not and cannot be tried by this military tribunal. The Guantanamo war court case at the controversial American navy base on Cuban soil has slogged through five-and-a-half years of pre-trial hearings. Last week's was the 26th. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and his four co-defendants are charged with war crimes punishable by death for allegedly helping nineteen airliner hijackers kill nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. Army Col. James Pohl, the judge who presides over this massive caseGuantanamo Court Lacks Jurisdiction To Try 9/11 Defendants, Says Defense Attorneyhttp://waer.org/post/guantanamo-court-lacks-jurisdiction-try-911-defendants-says-defense-attorney
72919 as http://waer.orgFri, 15 Dec 2017 11:00:00 +0000Guantanamo Court Lacks Jurisdiction To Try 9/11 Defendants, Says Defense AttorneyDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Republicans are taking the next step toward turning a tax bill into law. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Here's how it works. The Senate passed a tax bill in the wee hours of Saturday morning. A different version had already passed the House. Now negotiators are trying to merge these two. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told ABC's "This Week" that he is feeling confident. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THIS WEEK") MITCH MCCONNELL: We'll be able to get to an agreement in the conference. I'm very optimistic about it. And we think this will make a big difference in getting our economy moving again and providing jobs and opportunity for the American people. INSKEEP: OK, sounds good. But what really ends up in the final bill? NPR's Scott Detrow covers Congress. He's with us once again. Good morning, Scott. SCOTT DETROW, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve. INSKEEP: How different are these two pieces of legislation? DETROW: Well, there's a lot ofNews Brief: The Latest On The GOP Tax Bill; CVS Buys Aetnahttp://waer.org/post/news-brief-latest-gop-tax-bill-cvs-buys-aetna
72388 as http://waer.orgMon, 04 Dec 2017 10:14:00 +0000News Brief: The Latest On The GOP Tax Bill; CVS Buys AetnaDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: The Air Force general who commands the nation's nuclear arsenal and one of his predecessors both said earlier this month they would defy any order to launch a nuclear strike that they considered illegal. The issue has been raised, of course, by President Trump's words with North Korea over the possibility of nuclear war. But there are doubts about whether a refusal to carry out an unlawful order could actually thwart a rash presidential command. Here's NPR's David Welna. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: At a recent national security summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command was asked point-blank if he'd thought about what he would say should the president give him a nuclear launch order that violates the law of war. That could include, for example, targeting civilians or the excessive use of force. For Air Force General John Hyten, the question seemed almost insulting. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)What The Law Of War Says About Nuclear Strikeshttp://waer.org/post/what-law-war-says-about-nuclear-strikes
72238 as http://waer.orgWed, 29 Nov 2017 22:10:00 +0000What The Law Of War Says About Nuclear StrikesDavid WelnaCritics in the Senate have posed a high-stakes question: Can anything keep President Trump from launching a nuclear attack on his own? "We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with U.S. national security interests," said Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy. His Massachusetts colleague Ed Markey has offered legislation that would require congressional approval for any first use of nuclear weapons. Markey told witnesses at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing this week that he has been asking Republican Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee for weeks to convene the session because of how important he considers this question. And the answer — as to whether anything could stop Trump from ordering an attack — is yes, witnesses said. The difficult part is what comes next. Retired Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, a former topShaken By Trump, Senators Ask: What Stops Him From Launching Nukes?http://waer.org/post/shaken-trump-senators-ask-what-stops-him-launching-nukes
71676 as http://waer.orgWed, 15 Nov 2017 20:37:00 +0000Shaken By Trump, Senators Ask: What Stops Him From Launching Nukes?David WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ELISE HU, HOST: The authority of a U.S. president to singlehandedly order a nuclear strike has gone unquestioned by Congress for decades. Today, that changed. The Republican-led Senate foreign relations committee posed a key question. Could anything keep President Trump from launching a nuclear attack on his own? NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Democrats on the foreign relations panel pushed its Republican chairman, Bob Corker, to hold today's hearing. Ed Markey of Massachusetts led that effort. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) ED MARKEY: Thank you for having this very important hearing. I requested this several weeks ago, and I just think it's so important. WELNA: Markey is the lead sponsor of a bill that would require congressional approval prior to any nuclear first strike. Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy reminded his colleagues that this is hardly an abstract debate. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) CHRIS MURPHY: WeSenate Foreign Relations Committee Examines President's Ability To Order A Nuclear Strikehttp://waer.org/post/senate-foreign-relations-committee-examines-presidents-ability-order-nuclear-strike
71631 as http://waer.orgTue, 14 Nov 2017 21:36:00 +0000Senate Foreign Relations Committee Examines President's Ability To Order A Nuclear StrikeDavid WelnaThe steel-plated, modified Boeing 747 that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis travels the world on had flown west from suburban Washington, D.C., for 19 hours when it touched down Monday on an airstrip the U.S. once owned and operated. Clark Air Base in the Philippines used to be home to American bombers that pummeled Vietnam during the 1960s and early 1970s. And just as that ultimately futile U.S. intervention would become emblematic of a faltering American dominance in the region, so too is Clark Air Base now a ramshackle relic from another era, a time before the Philippines — the United States' oldest ally in Asia — reclaimed its sovereignty and politely showed the Americans the door. Mattis' trip to the Philippines had been billed as routine — a show of the American flag at an annual gathering of defense chiefs from 10 Southeast Asian nations. But it came at a time when things are anything but routine in that part of the world. Events there — primarily North Korea's sprint to nuclearWith Mattis Trip To Philippines, Reminders Of Waning U.S. Influence In Regionhttp://waer.org/post/mattis-trip-philippines-reminders-waning-us-influence-region
70754 as http://waer.orgWed, 25 Oct 2017 14:46:00 +0000With Mattis Trip To Philippines, Reminders Of Waning U.S. Influence In RegionDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Next week President Trump makes his first trip to Asia since taking office, and his stops include the Philippines. It's a former U.S. possession, now a longtime U.S. ally which is led by President Rodrigo Duterte. He has directed a crackdown on drugs in which more than 7,000 people were killed, which has caused a little strain with the United States. So Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is paying an advance visit. NPR's David Welna is traveling with Secretary Mattis as he's in the Philippines meeting with defense ministers from throughout that region. Hi, David. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Hi, Steve. INSKEEP: And we'll mention that David's at Clark Air Base, a historic American installation there from decades ago. David, what has to be worked out between the U.S. and the Philippines before Trump arrives? WELNA: Well, one thing that Secretary Mattis may be talking about with President Duterte is about another somewhat unpredictable leader,Mattis Meets With Duterte Ahead Of Trump's Trip To Philippineshttp://waer.org/post/mattis-meets-duterte-ahead-trumps-trip-philippines
70690 as http://waer.orgTue, 24 Oct 2017 10:30:00 +0000Mattis Meets With Duterte Ahead Of Trump's Trip To PhilippinesDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: An entire class of nuclear weapons was eliminated by a treaty 30 years ago. Now it's making a reappearance. Intermediate-range missiles were once deployed in Europe and the Soviet Union. They were only eight minutes flight time from their targets. As NPR's David Welna reports, the treaty that banned those missiles is fraying. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: If there was one moment that signaled the coming of the end of the Cold War, this may have been it. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RONALD REAGAN: For the first time in history, the language of arms control was replaced by arms reduction - in this case, the complete elimination of an entire class of U.S. and Soviet nuclear missiles. WELNA: President Ronald Reagan with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at his side preparing to sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty. It called for the destruction of hundreds of intermediate-range land-based missiles in Europe and theThe Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Could Be In Troublehttp://waer.org/post/intermediate-range-nuclear-forces-treaty-could-be-trouble
70066 as http://waer.orgFri, 06 Oct 2017 20:58:00 +0000The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Could Be In TroubleDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: One thing that did not come up during President Trump's news conference was the latest version of his travel ban. It singles out eight countries including now Chad. The more than 14 million citizens of that Central African country will no longer be able to immigrate to the United States, and they won't be eligible for business or tourist visas either. Chad is on the travel ban list despite the fact that it's a key ally in counterterrorism operations. It's been vital in the fight against Boko Haram and against ISIS in West Africa. NPR's David Welna reports. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Even the presidential proclamation banning the entry of virtually anyone from Chad recognizes that country's effort in fighting terrorism. The government of Chad, it reads, is an important and valuable counterterrorism partner of the U.S. Experts on that part of Africa agree. ADAM MOORE: Chad is certainly a strategic partner with the U.S. WELNA: AdamAmended Travel Ban Threatens U.S. Military Relations With Chadhttp://waer.org/post/amended-travel-ban-threatens-us-military-relations-chad
69647 as http://waer.orgTue, 26 Sep 2017 21:36:00 +0000Amended Travel Ban Threatens U.S. Military Relations With ChadDavid WelnaUpdated at 10:15 a.m. ET Thursday There was some consternation Monday on Capitol Hill after President Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that "if [the U.S.] is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Congress is, after all, the only branch of government constitutionally authorized to declare war. And that would seem to include nuclear war. But Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker says it's complicated. "Every president since we've had nuclear weapons has had the ability to launch them," Corker noted. "That's the way our nation is." Asked in a brief interview at the Capitol about legislation that would give Congress a greater say over the decision to carry out a first strike, Corker replied, "I've had other members talk with me a little about it, and we're doing some research on that topic." He added, "We really began to do so at the end of last week." NPR previously reported that Corker wasAfter Trump's U.N. Speech, Some Senators Look To Reinforce War Powershttp://waer.org/post/senator-mulls-nuclear-limits-trump
69360 as http://waer.orgTue, 19 Sep 2017 22:45:00 +0000After Trump's U.N. Speech, Some Senators Look To Reinforce War PowersDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: North Korea's missile launch took place on the same day as a very different kind of launch, a new initiative aimed at avoiding precisely the kind of nuclear weapons program North Korea is pursuing. NPR's David Welna reports on a nuclear fuel bank financed in large part by Warren Buffett. It made its debut today in Kazakhstan. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: This is a peculiar bank. Its only deposits are some 90 metric tons of low-enriched uranium, the kind of fuel used by most nuclear power plants. It's located in the north of Kazakhstan, the world's top source of uranium. And it's both owned and operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. But about a third of its funding - $50 million - comes from the man widely known as the Oracle of Omaha. WARREN BUFFETT: This is an investment in humanity. You can't roll the dice on humanity's survival. WELNA: Speaking on the phone from Omaha, Warren Buffett says he sank some of his largeWarren Buffett Backs Nuclear Fuel Bank In Kazakhstanhttp://waer.org/post/warren-buffett-backs-nuclear-fuel-bank-kazakhstan
68569 as http://waer.orgTue, 29 Aug 2017 20:32:00 +0000Warren Buffett Backs Nuclear Fuel Bank In KazakhstanDavid WelnaIn a bucolic valley nestled in Romania's Carpathian mountains, herds of sheep graze the hillsides. Then, suddenly, all hell breaks loose. Volleys of live artillery fire thunder across a wide hollow. Stryker fighting vehicles charge down a hillside as troops in camouflage brandish automatic rifles as they scramble through tall grasses. Welcome to Saber Guardian 2017 . Billed as "promoting peace and stability in the Black Sea region," it's a U.S.-led multinational military exercise now in its third — and biggest yet-- year in Romania, as well as in neighboring Bulgaria and Hungary. Twenty-five thousand troops from more than 20 nations — most of them members of NATO — have been mustering and carrying out essentially one-sided warfare (since there are no real enemy forces present) for most of the past month in this corner of southeast Europe. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, U.S. forces in Europe were at a low ebb. "Three years ago, the last American tank went home — we had zero tanks.In Russia's Shadow, U.S. Military Bulks Up European Presencehttp://waer.org/post/russias-shadow-us-military-bulks-european-presence
67223 as http://waer.orgThu, 27 Jul 2017 20:49:00 +0000In Russia's Shadow, U.S. Military Bulks Up European PresenceDavid Welnahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjnT0j7eh8 Other than vodka, the Russian product most familiar to Americans is probably the anti-virus software made by Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab . Best Buy loads some of the computers it sells with Kaspersky Lab software. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirms to NPR that it uses the company's products. So do many state and local government entities. (Kaspersky Lab is also among NPR's financial supporters.) But should legislation recently approved by both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees become law, the U.S. military would be barred from owning or using any products made by Kaspersky. U.S. lawmakers have become increasingly wary of the Russian cybersecurity firm possibly doing the will of the Kremlin. At a May Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, six intelligence agency chiefs seated at the witness table got put on the spot about Kaspersky. "Kaspersky Lab software is used by, if not hundreds of thousands, millions of Americans,"Congress Casts A Suspicious Eye On Russia's Kaspersky Labhttp://waer.org/post/congress-casts-suspicious-eye-russias-kaspersky-lab
66356 as http://waer.orgWed, 05 Jul 2017 20:19:00 +0000Congress Casts A Suspicious Eye On Russia's Kaspersky LabDavid Welnahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DmMMQq5p58 Trash-tweeting the news media for the fifteenth time in a week, President Trump spent part of Sunday morning at his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey maligning CNN. This time it was a video clip. Posted on Trump's personal Twitter account, it shows him clotheslining wrestling empresario Vince McMahon at a "Wrestlemania" match 10 years ago that was billed as "The Battle of the Billionaires." As Trump knocks McMahon to the ground with a forearm slam, an apparently photo-shopped CNN logo covers McMahon's face. The takedown is repeated four times in the video, which is accompanied by two hashtags: #FraudNewsCNN and #FNN. The message from the nation's 45th president seems unmistakeable: Trump would love to body slam CNN just as he floored McMahon. On ABC's This Week , host Martha Raddatz showed Trump's taunting tweet to White House Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert, who was seeing it for the first time. "That seems like a threat," RaddatzTrump Tweets Clip Of Him Bodyslamming CNN; Network Says 'Do Your Job'http://waer.org/post/trump-tweets-clip-him-bodyslamming-cnn-network-says-do-your-job
66235 as http://waer.orgSun, 02 Jul 2017 19:15:00 +0000Trump Tweets Clip Of Him Bodyslamming CNN; Network Says 'Do Your Job'David WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: An American Air Force fighter shot down an Iranian-made drone in Syria today. It was the latest such encounter as tensions escalate in the war in Syria, a war that Congress never authorized the U.S. to join. Some lawmakers are uncomfortable with that, and they're beginning to consider a new authorization to guide the military's long-lasting conflicts overseas. NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: As he gaveled in today's hearing, Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Foreign Relations panel, noted that the U.S. has been fighting the Islamic State for nearly three years under an authorization for the use of military force passed just days after the 9/11 attacks. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) BOB CORKER: We are approaching the day when an American soldier will deploy to combat under legal authority that was passed before they were born. WELNA: Ben Cardin, the ranking Democrat, noted that theAuthorization For The Use Of Military Force Could Be Up For Update In Senatehttp://waer.org/post/authorization-use-military-force-could-be-update-senate
65768 as http://waer.orgTue, 20 Jun 2017 20:44:00 +0000Authorization For The Use Of Military Force Could Be Up For Update In SenateDavid WelnaCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: When the United States carries out an attack on another nation, as it did last night on an air base in Syria, there is usually a legal justification to back it up. Not this time, at least the Trump administration has offered none so far. With no prior blessing from either the United Nations or Congress, many are asking whether the attack on Syria broke the law. NPR's David Welna has the story. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: One thing you cannot say about the Tomahawk missile attack of that Syrian air base, that the Trump administration did not warn it was coming. At the United Nations yesterday, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley told her colleagues that when the international community fails to act collectively against the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, nation states may act alone. Today, Haley sought to justify last night's airstrikes. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) NIKKI HALEY: The United States will not stand by when chemicalCongress Calls For Vote On Authorizing Use Of Force In Syriahttp://waer.org/post/congress-calls-vote-authorizing-use-force-syria
62722 as http://waer.orgFri, 07 Apr 2017 20:31:00 +0000Congress Calls For Vote On Authorizing Use Of Force In SyriaDavid WelnaFormer national security adviser Mike Flynn has said he'd testify to congressional committees investigating Russian election meddling in exchange for immunity from prosecution. President Trump encouraged him to try to make such a deal to protect himself from what Trump called a "witch hunt." Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: I'm Ari Shapiro in Washington where an ever-widening probe is taking new turns by the hour. It's the investigation into Russia's meddling in the presidential election and what role, if any, the Trump campaign had in it. NPR national security correspondent David Welna has been following the latest developments. Hi, David. DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Hi, Ari. SHAPIRO: Let's start with an update. What do we know today that we didn't know yesterday? WELNA: Well, today's story is Mike Flynn. He, of course, is the retired lieutenant general who lasted about three weeks as President Trump's national security adviser. He was fired after news reportsIn A Story With Many Twists, Congress' Russia Election-Meddling Probe Takes Anotherhttp://waer.org/post/story-many-twists-congress-russia-election-meddling-probe-takes-another
62431 as http://waer.orgFri, 31 Mar 2017 21:52:00 +0000In A Story With Many Twists, Congress' Russia Election-Meddling Probe Takes Another